Finding Faerie (5 page)

T
he club was a far cry from anything I’ve ever seen in Vegas. It was hidden in an old brick building with three floors all connected by a series of metal, spiral staircases. There were several seating choices, all made of tufted leather in shades of white or lime green. The decor was eclectic but elegant. Leo led me up to the top level where he checked in with the VIP hostess. She took our coats and led us to a private seating area in the corner. We sat for a while taking in the atmosphere while sipping drinks. The dance floor was packed while speakers blasted a mix of techno and R&B
.

After finishing my second rum and Coke, I felt loosened up enough to brave the crowd. “You ready to show me your moves?” 

Leo smiled. “Always.”

He took my hand and led me through the mass of writhing bodies. When we found an open space, he pulled me close. With my shoes, we were almost the same height, so our bodies lined up well as we started moving our hips.
Wow, Leo had rhythm!
I guess I wouldn’t have expected anything less; this man seemed capable of anything. Being pressed against him while he moved in time with the thumping bass was an experience I’d never forget. He was so confident, so controlled, yet also so wholly animalistic. I couldn’t help but wonder how that would translate in the bedroom. This was yet another facet to the enigma that was Leo. I got lost in the music as we danced from one song to the next.

At some point, “Skin” from Rihanna began to play. I had a theory that everyone out there had at least one song that made them want to fuck. Not have sex, not make love, but throw-you-up-against-the-wall-rip-your-panties-off-fuck. If you couldn’t think of one off the top of your head, you simply hadn’t found yours yet. Anyway, this song was mine and I had no doubt that Leo was picking up on it. I was already turned on from dancing so closely, but this took it to a much higher level.

I hooked an arm around his neck and pressed into him further. We were so close I could feel every ridge of his body as we moved to the sensual beat. Fingers danced across my naked spine until they grazed the curves of my ass, infinitesimally dipping beneath the fabric of my dress. My panties were soaked as my internal muscles clenched, begging to be filled. Leo inhaled deeply, his warm breath fanning over my neck, before he stopped moving altogether. Our bodies vibrated with anticipation. Mine became more pliant as he held me in place. His became harder.

He pulled back slightly to look at me. Yep, he had definitely picked up on my mood. “Turn it off, Karli. Turn it off quickly…or I’m going to act on it.”

I could feel his desire pressed against my lower belly. His fangs lengthened as I ghosted my fingers over his erection and leaned into his ear. “What if I can’t turn it off? What if I
don’t
want to
?”

His chest rose and his fingers dug into my skin, clenching and unclenching with bruising force. Just then, his phone buzzed. With a curse, he pulled it out of his pocket to see who was calling. “I have to take this.” He hesitated before releasing his hold on me. “Why don’t you go…cool off at the bar? I’ll be right back.”

I shivered from the abrupt withdrawal of heat as he departed. The physical effect that man had on me was really disturbing sometimes. I spotted the bar and made my way over to a stool.

Before I had a chance to get the bartender’s attention, a man in the seat next to mine spoke. “May I buy you a drink?”

I looked to my right to find the owner of the voice. He was huge, maybe as big as Leo, but that’s where the similarities ended. Where Leo had olive skin and light eyes, this man was dark everywhere. Deep brown eyes, russet-colored skin, jet black hair. He looked somewhat Middle Eastern but spoke with a thick, Irish brogue. I’d heard the term Black Irish before and wondered if this is where it came from. “No, thanks. I’m here with someone.”

Mr. Dark looked pensive. “Ah, an American! What a beautiful accent for such a beautiful lady. Forgive me for being so bold, but it doesn’t appear as if you’re currently with someone.”

Okay, so clearly I was going to have to be more assertive. “Yes, I am,” I said through gritted teeth. “My date stepped away for just a moment to take a call.”

He held his hands up. “Ah, pity. Well, at least let me get that drink for you for all the trouble I’ve caused. Then I’ll be on my way. I promise.”

“That’s really not—”

“I insist,” he interrupted as he motioned the bartender over. “What will you have?”

I decided to just accept the damn thing so he would leave me alone. “Rum and Coke.”

The bartender nodded and stepped away to mix my drink. “So, what part of America are you from Miss…?”

“Karli.”

“Karli. What a lovely name. I’m Connor.”

“Are you from around here, Connor?” I decided to deflect his questions with a set of my own. How long did it take to make a damn drink anyway?

He smiled. “I’m originally from a great distance, but I’ve been in Dublin for quite a while.”

“And what do you do for work here in Dublin?”

Before he could answer, a glass was placed in front of me. “Ah, it appears as if that’s my cue to leave.” He placed a bill on the bar to cover the expense and stepped down from his stool. “It’s been lovely, Karli. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

I turned around to reply but he had already disappeared from sight. Hmm, weird.

“Who were you talking to?” Leo growled.

I jumped when I heard his voice. “Jesus, Leo! You scared the shit out of me!”
Where did he come from anyway?

“Who were you talking to?” he repeated. “I saw you talking to a man from across the room. He was gone by the time I made my way up here.”

“Just some guy wanting to buy me a drink. I told him I was with someone and he left.” Leo glared at the drink in my hand. “He wouldn’t give up until I accepted, but then he left as soon as I got it. Relax, Leo. I get hit on all the time at work. I know how to handle it.”

Reminding him that I was propositioned on a regular basis probably wasn’t the best idea, based on his expression. He forcefully grabbed the glass out of my hand and set it down on the bar. He then held my coat out for me. “Let’s go. I need to get back to the hotel.”
Okay, apparently that’s the end of our evening
out.

I couldn’t sleep and wound up tossing and turning for hours. My body was exhausted, but my brain wouldn’t turn off. I couldn’t get that Connor guy out of my head. Something about him was bugging me. I guess it was part of the whole enhanced psychic ability thing. Reading someone’s emotions had become so natural I often did it without trying. With him though, I didn’t get anything. He was a blank slate, which I found unnerving. If I was being entirely honest with myself, guilt was also taking up residence in my head. I hadn’t spoken to Vance since before we left. He’d called several times, but I sent them all to voicemail. I looked at the clock and decided that now was as good a time as any.

He answered on the first ring. “Karli, thank God. Are you alone?”

“Um, yeah. Why?” My question was answered when my phone beeped with his FaceTime invitation.

“Accept the invite.
Please
. I need to see you.”

I turned on my bedside lamp and hit the accept button. A second later, Vance’s face was taking over my screen. He looked so tired. His hair was a mess, like he had been running his hands through it, and he had several days’ worth of growth on his jaw. I caught myself tracing the stubble with my finger before I pulled away. “Hey, how’s Erica?” I was thrown off by seeing him look so worn and so I tried keeping the conversation light.

“She’s wondering, like I am, why you haven’t called me. She told me you’re in Ireland…
why
you’re in Ireland. What have you found?”
Well, so much for that idea.

“I haven’t found anything yet. We’ve made progress, though.”

“What kind of progress?”

“Have you heard of a group of witches that call themselves guardians?”

“I’ve heard of them,” he began, “but I think that was just a legend. Why?”

“They’re not so much of a myth anymore,” I said. “Leo met with a few of them, and they’re helping us arrange a meeting with the leader of their coven. They apparently hold the key to the portal.”

“What!?” His shock was evident. “How in the hell would
Leo
, of all people, get that type of access?”

I shrugged. “How does he do anything? I don’t know…he just has a way of making things happen.”

His face reddened. “So what now?”

“We’re meeting with them on Saturday. Leo said they’ll be able to sense whether or not I’m Fae since they’re blessed with Fae magic. They mentioned that all Fae can sense each other. Is that true?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“So did you know I was a fairy when we first met?”

He shook his head. “It’s not like a lie detector…at least not for me.” Vance’s mother was half Fae, making him one-quarter. He had Fae magic but it acted like a booster for his warlock powers more than anything else. “I could sense
something
was different about you, but I didn’t know for sure until I saw you conjure fairy dust. What about you? Could you sense it in me?”

I thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know…I just felt drawn to you. I’ve
always
felt drawn to you.”

He smiled. “Same here.”

I sighed. “Vance, that doesn’t change anything. You know that, right?”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t know that. And neither do you. Neither one of us can predict what’s going to happen in the future.”

His statement made me realize I’d never told him what Irina had recently revealed to me. That I was a seer, just like my mother. She said I wouldn’t be able to fully interpret my visions until I became immortal. My biggest problem currently was being able to distinguish imagination from reality. She’d assured me that would become easier with time. “Uh, actually, that’s not entirely accurate.”

“What’s not accurate?”

“The thing about neither one of us being able to predict the future,” I clarified. “Apparently, I can…or will be able to eventually.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Karli, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Well, according to Irina, I’m clairvoyant like my mom was. Apparently once I become immortal, I’ll be able to understand my visions better. Right now, it’s a little fuzzy, but I’ve had flashes of things that actually then happened.”

He narrowed his eyes. “How long have you known about this?”

“A few weeks, maybe.”

“Why does it always—”

“Yeah, yeah, it always takes me forever to tell you the important things,” I interrupted. “I had other stuff on my mind…it doesn’t really matter anyway. We’re getting off track; I’ll hopefully know more after we meet with these witches. I’ll call you afterwards.”

“No need, I should be there by then.”

Huh? “You should be
where
by
when
?”

“In Ireland. By the time you meet with the witches. I don’t have any active cases so I can book a flight sometime in the next few days. I have plenty of vacation time saved.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I disagree.”